Signal or alarm.



PATENTBD JULY 2, 1907.

F. QAM PBELL. SIGNAL 0R ALARM.

APPLICATIOH I'ILED APR. 26, 1906.

l/VI/ENTOR WITNESSES.

ATTORNEY THE NORRIS PETERS Cm, WASHINGTON, n. c.

UNITED STATES- PATENT OFFICE.

BENJAMIN F. oAMPBELnoF-LITTLE RooK,"ARKANsAs-AssIeNoR 0F ONE-HALF TO JOHN E.

GOATES, oF' LITTLE noon, ARKANSAS.

SIGNAL. OR AIJARM.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 2,1907.

*Applicatioir filed'April 26, 1906'. .SerialNo. 313,799.

To all whomit may concern:

.Be itknown that I, BENJAMIN F. CAMPBELL, a'citi zen of the United States, residing at Little Rock, in the county of Pulaski and State of Arkansas, have invented" certain new. and useful Improvements in Signals or Alarms, of which the following is a specification.

The invention to be hereinafter-described relates to, signals or alarms, andmore particularly to that type; which is made operative by. a variation in air or fluid pressure.

main air pressure or brake system, or from a main reservoir. In such cases, however, the engineer or other employee is liable. to permitthe lubricant supply valves to remainopen toolong, or even after the charge of lubricant has been blown to the' parts'to be lubricated, thereby causing a lowering of the air or fluid pressure in the supply systemand more or less waste of lubricant.

With the above general considerations in 'view the object of the present invention is to provide a signal or alarm, which, when the lubricant valves have not been:

properly closed, or the'pressure of the air or fluid in the supply system has decreased to a predetermined amount, will bemade operative and indicate the fact v or facts to the engineer or other employee.

The invention consists of the parts and combinations hereinafter fully described and definitely :pointed out in the claims.

In the drawings: Figure l isa sectional elevation of a signal or alarm associated with the lubricant supplying device and its valves, the latter being shown in closed position. Fig. 2 is a like view showing the lubricant valves in open position and the signal or alarm indicating that fact.

The form of the lubricant supplying device selected for illustration, comprises a reservoir or cup X having a usual cover a and a contracted lower portion a. posed preferably below the reservoir or cup X are the lubricant valve elements and their casing, the latter being selectively shown as formed integral with the reservoir orcup, although obviously this is not essential. The valve casing D is provided with suitable valve seats for the two valves E and E, the valve E for controlling the charge of lubricant delivered from the ,cantto the desired parts.

Dis-

,nated foridentification-the lubricant valvepand the valve E for controlling theair or fluid being denomi natedfthe -air valve. The casing .Dis extended preferably at a for attachment to therdelivery pipe leading to the parts to be lu- .bricated, and has-also. an extension a and nut (i for securing the device to some fixed or stationary part.

To the casing D is connected the air or supply pipe A leading from. the air brake system. or from the main reservoir. From the construction thus fardescribed, it will-be seen that theparts being inposition asindica-tedin Fig. 1,the.1ubricant valve E will receiveasupply of lubricant into its chamber 6, and the .airvalve-E cuts off the air orfluidpressure. ever, the parts are turned into position, as indicated in Fig. 2, the lubricant valve E will bring its chamber e into line with the pipe connection leading to the parts to be lubricated and. the air valve E will admit a blast of air or; fluid through both valves to carry the charge of lubri- Under the conditions above indicated the air or fluid pressure inthe systemcon- .nected topipe A .willgradually fall unless the valves E. E are turned to their original position, and when such fall in pressure reaches: a predetermined amount,

.it will be indicated bythe signal or alarm connected toxpipe A, as will. now be described.

' Connectedtothe pipe A at a suitable point is the stoclcB of the signal or alarm. Rising from the stock B is the casing A formed atits lowerportion with a .valve seat b. -Disposed within the casing A is a signal or valve stem A said stem carrying the valve Vv at its lower end and'a suitable signal or.whistle W at its upper exposed end. The valve stem A and the valve V are provided with intersecting passageways O 0 such passageways leadingto thewhistle W so that, should any air or otheriluid pressurepass through these passageways, it will enter the whistle and give the alarm or signal desired. It will be noted thatthe passagewayin the valve V is formed in the seating portion of the valve so that, should thevalve become unseatcd for any reason, air or fluid pressure'in the pipe A will pass into and through such passageway and through the passageway in the valve stem and operate the whistle or signal as described.

Surrounding the valve stem A near its upper portion is a nut C screw-threaded into the casing A, and between said nut and the valve V is disposed the spiral spring S, the energy of which may be adjusted by suitable manipulation of the nut C.

Projecting downward from the valve V is the limiting stem h, which is adapted to contact with the end of an adjusting stop orscrew P when the valve and its stem are free to move downward, all as shown in Figs. 1 and 2 It is obvious, of course, that the details of the signal If, howor alarm may be varied, the essential feature being that it shall be provided with a valve adapted to be unseated upon a predetermined fall of pressure in the air system to which it is connected and which, by such unseating oi the valve, will expose to the action of the air a passageway which is connected to a suitable whistle or alarm. It will be obvious, also, that the spring S, being adjustable as to its energy of action against the valve V, adapts the signal or alarm to conditions of varying pressure, as desired, in the system to which it is connected. Thus, by adjusting the nut C downward and compressing the spring S, the valve E will be opened when the air pressure in the system to which the pipe A is connected reaches a certain predetermined pressure, and by adjusting the nut relatively upward from such position, the valve becomes unseated, obviously, when the pressure of the air system is lower than that necessary in the first example.

The lubricant valve E and the air valve E may be either independently turned by suitable handles, as understood, or the two valves E E may be connected, as shown in Fig. 2 by means of gearing so that, upon turning the single handle, as H, Fig. 2, the two valves E E, may be simultaneously moved from their closed to their open position or vice versa.

From the construction thus described, it will be seen that the valves E E may be suitably manipulated by the engineer or other attendant to carry a charge of 111- bricant in the lubricant chamber a into alinement with the pipe for conducting such lubricant to the parts to be lubricated and that, at such time, a blast of air may be supplied from the pipe A which is connected to the air pressure system of the train or main reservoir. Should the engineer or other attendant fail to close the valves E E, obviously, the pressure of air in the system to which the pipe A is connected will be lowered,

and at such time, depending on the adjusted tension of the spring S, and when the pressure has been lowered to a predetermined point, the valve V will be forced downward as shown in Fig. 2, and air be admitted through the passageways O O to the whistle W, thereby giving warning that the air pressure in the system has been lowered to an undesirable point, or that the valves controlling the discharge of lubricant to the parts to be lubricated have not been properly closed.

Having thus described my invention what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In a device of the character described, the combination of a lubricant supplying means, valve devices for controlling the'supply of lubricant to the parts to be lubricated, a pipe connected to a source of air or fluid pressure and communicating with said valve devices for forcing a charge of lubricant to the desired parts, a signal or alarm connected to said pipe and comprising n cos ing, a. valve, a valve stem extended through said casing, said valve and stem being provided with intersecting pussageways, and menus to unseat the valve 'and permit air or fluid to pass through the passageways when the pressure in the pipe decreases to a predetermined amount, due to the opening of the valve devices for controlling the supply of lubricant.

2. In a device of the character described, the combina tion of a lubricant supplying means, vnlve devices for controlling the supply of lubricant to the parts to he lubricated, a pipe connected to :1 source of :1ir or iluid pressure and communicating with said valve devices for forcing a charge of lubricant to the desired puris, :1 signal or alarm connected to said pipe and comprising :1 casing, a valve, a valve stem extended through said casing. :1 spring normally acting to unseat the valve, said valve and stem being provided with passageways, the pus. gownys in the valve being closed when the valve is sented, and an alarm connected to the valve stem so that upon decrease of the air or iiuid pressure to :1 predelcrmincd amount in said pipe due to the opening of the lubricant controlling valve devices, the valve will he unscutcd and the alarm sounded.

3. In a device of the character described, the combinn tion of :1 lubricant supplying menus, valve dcviccs for controlling the supply of lubricunt lo the parts to bc lubricated, :1 pipe connected to :1 source of :1ir or llnid pressure and communicuiing with said valve devices for forcing a charge of lubricant in the desired pnris, :1 signal or alarm connected to said pipe and comprising :1 casing, a valve, :1 valve stem extended through said cuslng, :1 spring normally acting to unseui the valve, menus for ad justing the tension of snid spring, snid vnlve and stem hcing provided with passageways, the passageways in the valve being closed when the valve is sealed, and an alarm connected to the valve stem so that upon decrease oi the air or lluid pressure to :1 predetermined amount in snid pipe due to the opening of the lubricant controlling vnlvc devices, the valve will he unsealed 11nd the alarm sounded 4. In a device of the character described, the combinn tion of a lubricant supplying means, vnlvc devices for controlling the supply of lubricant to the parts to hc lubricated, a pipe connected to a source oi :1ir or iluid pressure and communicating with said valve devices for forcing a charge 01 lubricant to the desired pnrls, :1 signal or alarm connected to said pipe and comprising :1 casing, a valve, a valve stem extended through said cu. 1g. said valve and stem being provided with intersecting passageways, a sound producing device comnninicnling with said passageways and menus to uns the valve and permit air or iluid to pass through the passageways when the pressure in the pipe decreases to :L prcdcicrmincd amount due to the opening of the lubricant supplying vnlve dcviees and an adjustable stop for limiting the nnscniing movement of the valve.

in testimony whereof I ailix my signature in presence oi two witnesses.

BENJAMIN l (.AMl'lll'lllll. Witnesses:

.T. E. COA'IES, R. W. Nnwi-nln.

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